This athlete is stating that track and field has conditioned her into unhealthy behaviors and relationships with food. This absolutely has to be a common thing for people in most events besides the throws, and especially relevant for women. Maintaining an optimal body for track and field can force people to intensely focus on what they eat. What if a couple pounds could make or break a medal position?
She is stating our loud something that's been on my mind for a while (although a different situation bc I'm a mediocre runner and I only have a small issue with food stuff). Should I keep trying to PR if I think I need to cut weight to easily do it? And will cutting weight make me have an unhealthy relationship with my body and food, which I know is common, especially in female distance runners?
People here think that she's privileged and whining because she's being vulnerable and telling her truth, which seems to be a common truth in this sport. She's thankful for her time in the sport but she's scared it's given her habits where she's overly controlling and anxious about her body. I hope she can work through this stuff in retirement.